Aeroplane



' June 216, 1923.

E. L. 660mm 7 AEROPLANE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Slvwentoz I Filed Feb. 8. 1922June 26,1923.

E: L. soonm AEROPLANE Filed Feb. 8. 1922 s Sheets-Sheat s SJ wue wtozGktovnuz folded against the under portion of the Inav V mg leg 19 havinga shoulder 19 which abuts Patented June 25, 1923.

EDWARD L. soonrn,

OF COPELAND, ARKANSAS, ASSIGNOB OF DIXIE-HALF T GEORGE B. M. WILL, OFGRABTREE, ARKANSAS.

Aniaoritanrij t J Application filed February 8, 1922. Serial lilo.53%,946.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD L. GOODIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Copeland, in the county of Van Buren and State of Arkansas,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aeroplanes, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had tothe'accompanying draw- I ings.

This invention relates to improvements in aeroplanes, and moreparticularly to a,

device of this character which is propelled by the operator thereof.

An important object of the invention is to provide in a device of thischaracter novel and improved propellingmeans.

A further object of the invention is. to pro vide in such a device atail structure which may be employed not only for elevating or loweringthe machine but which likewise banks the machine in making a turn.

A still further OlQJCCll of the invention is to provide in a structureor this type a pro peller mechanism which isof such a character thatwhen in motion it would ordinarily engage the ground were the machine inflying position, and means for elevating the machine abovethe groundpreparatory to a flight, such meansbeing automatically,

chine when the machine is in flight.

These and other objectsI accomplish by.

the structure shown in the accompanying drawings wherein for the purposeof illustration I have shown a preferred embodie ment of my inventionand wherein likere;-

verse brace in with ts upper end when the ference characters throughout.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation of an aerodesignate likeparts plane constructed in accordance with myinvention; i

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional View taken therethrough; y

Figure 3 is a detail view showing the tensioning device employed; Figure4 is a detail of the tail mounting; Figure 5 is a section on the line5-5 of Figure 1.;' Figure 6 is a detail section on the line 66 of Figure5; and r 1 1 Figure 7 is a; fragmentary side elevation showing analternative form of leg mounting. Referring now more particularly to thedrawings, the numeral lO indicates the supporting plane from whichextend downwardly at the central portion thereof pairs of front and rearcab or fuselage corner posts 11 and 12. To the front corner posts 1].,at a point spaced from the lower ends thereoiiis The corner members 11are connected at their lower ends by a transverse brace 14, and thecorner members 12 by a similar brace 14:".

At each side of the cab 01' fuselage struc- .ture pairs of fore and aftbracing members 15 and 16 are secured, the braces lobeing positionedadjacent the cornermembers and the braces lo being spaced therefrom, one

brace of each pair being arranged above and the other below theoutwardly, extending ends of the transverse braces 13 and 13.

Externally of the corner members 11 and 12 at the outer faces thereofand at the lower ends thereof are secured fore fand aft braces 11' whichare engaged with the braces 14 and 14f. Spaced'from each fore and aftbrace 17 by the corner members 11 and 12 is a fore and aft brace 18likewisesecured to the transverse braces 1e and 145*. Intermediate eachpair of braces 17 and'lS is pivoted a support- .diate the endsthereoffis pivotally connected a supporting leg 20 which abuts thetransleg 20 is vertically disposed. To the legs 19 u are secured springs21 connected to the adjacent fore and aft braces 18 and to the leg 20and brace is 18 secured a' spring 22. T he purpose of the springs 21 and22 is toelevate the legs and hold the same in the position shown inFigure 2 when the machine is in flight 1 v i i The rear end of the lowerbrace 15 of each pair extends rearwardly beyond the corner post 12, asindicated at 23, and these extendedportions 23 form a support for a tailstructure 24, the tail 24 being of the flexible or warping type, Securedto the braces .13 and 14 intermediate the eridstliereot is a verticallyextending brace 25, and intermediate the brace 25and each corner post 11a foot control 26 is pivoted. Each control 26 neousl ting the tail tocontrol not only the eleva-.

7 one side of the tail may be elevated and the 'otherside depressed orbothsides simultaelevated or depressed thuspermi'ttion of the machinebut banking operations aswell.

Intermediate each pairof fore and aft braces 15 extends a lever 34 whichis pivotally connected thereto, the ends of the levers projecting withinthe cab being adapted for'engagementwith the hand, as at 35. Theopposite end portions of the levers operate intermediate the fore andaft braces 16. To the fore and aft braces 16 are pivotally connectedlevers or propeller arms 36, the inner ends 37 of which operateintermediate the pairs of fore and aft braces 15. These inner ends areconnected with the ends of the levers 34by links 38 so that the outerends of the levers or propeller arms 36 move rearwardly when the handleends of the levers 34 are moved rearwardly.

To the outer ends of the propeller arms 36 are secured propellers 39,being a con.- struction whichfolds as the outer ends of these arms aremoved forwardly and opens for engagement against the air as the'arms aremoved rearwardly. In the present instance I have shown the outer ends ofthe arms as having secured thereto the endsof the arm portions ofU-shaped pivot members 40, the bight portion 40 thereof being arrangedforwardly of the arms. To each of these bight portions is pivotallyconnected upper and lower U-shaped frame memhers 41 and 42 having acovering of cloth ofany suitable nature, this cloth covering beingcommon to the frame members 41 and 42 and extending intermediate thebight portion 40 of the U-shaped support and the arm 36, and beingsecured to the bight portion 40 as at 43. secured to each of theU-shaped frames and to the corresponding arm 36 are flexible members 44limiting the movement of the frames 41 and 42 when the same arrive at avertical position as respects the flying position, of the machine.

It will be obvious that when the handle portions 35 are reciprocated theouter ends of the propeller arms 36 will likewise be reciprocated. Inmoving forwardly in flight the sections 41 and 42 will be foldeddownwardly against the sides of the propeller arm 36 and in movingrearwardly the en- Vertical posts 46 are provided at each side of thecab, which posts are rotatably mounted at their lower ends in the braces15 and at their upper ends in the plane structure 10. Rigidly securedtothe posts and normally extending rearwardly there from are fabriccovered frames 47, and the posts are each'provided with a handle 48 bymeans of which they may be engaged to oscillate the posts and bring theframes 47 at right angles to the line of flight, braking the forwardmotion of the machine by their engagement with the air. The'cab, will,of course, be provided withthe usual operators sea-t S so arranged as toallow the operator to engage the controls 26 with-his feet and" placethe operating mechanism for the propellers and braking apparatus withineasy reach. I

In the operation of the machine preparatory to flight, the legs 19 and20 are engaged with the round, elevating the machine the requireddistance and permitting the operator to actuate the propellers 89. Whenthe flight is commenced, these legs are, as hereinbefore stated,automatically drawn up and assume a position paralleling the flyingposition of the machine and accordingly afford substantially no headresis'tancer If it is desired to bank, say for example to the right asin making a rightturn, this may be accomplished by oscillating the righthand foot control 26 to elevate the right hand side of the flexible tailelement 24 tending to depressthis side of the machine, or this may beaccomplished by simultaneously operating the foot controls, the righthand foot control to elevate the right hand side of the tail structureand the left hand foot control to depress the left hand side. If it isdesired to simultaneously bank and elevate or depress the machine thepedals are both actuated to elevate or depress the tail as the case maybe, one of the pedals being further actuated than the other to give thede sired banking effect.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that entire strain of maintainingthe tail in adjusted positions may not fall upon the operator, theguides 29 are preferably in. the form of spaced headed elements 29having a spring pressed plate 29* mounted thereon and bearing againstthe flexible controls 28 binding them between the plate and theassociated corner posts 12.

In Figure 7 I have illustrated an alternative form of leg mounting bymeans of which the legs are drawn out of the way so that they do not inany manner interfere with the landing of the machine. In this form ofmounting the braces .18 are secured to the corner posts 11 at a pointspaced from the bottom thereof and the lower ends of the braces 11 areprovided with guide members, 11 receiving the legs when in thesupporting position and preventing movement thereof. The transversebrace 14 is likewise secured to the corner braces 12 at a point spacedfrom the bottom thereof so that when the legs 19 are drawn upwardly bythe spring 21, they are spaced above the lower ends of the corner bracesand do not engage with the ground.

While in the illustration of my machine I have shown the same as beingprovided with a single supporting plane, it will be obvious to thosefamiliar with the art that a plurality of such planes may be provided ifso desired. I furthermore do not wish to be limited to the constructionemployed for positioning the machine for initial flight as othermeansmay be employed if the same are found desirable or necessary. Thework ing parts of the machine when constructed will be formed of anydesired material, light wood or metal being preferred. Many otherchanges of a similar nature being possible in the construction of themachine as hereinbefore set forth without in any manner departing fromthe spirit of my invention, I do not limit myself to the specificstructure except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. In an aeroplane, the combination with a supporting plane and afuselage, of spaced pairs of spaced braces arranged at each side of thefuselage and extending fore and aft thereof, a lever extendingintermediate each outer pair of spaced braces and pivotally connectedthereto and provided at its outer end with propeller mechanism, theinner ends of said levers operating intermediate the inner pairs ofspaced braces, other levers extending intermediate the inner pairs ofspaced braces and havingportions ali'ord ing handles extending withinthe fuselage,

the outer ends of said levers operating intermediate the outer pair ofspaced braces,

and a link connection between the inner ends of the first named leversand the outer ends of the last named levers.

2. In an aeroplane, the combination with a supporting plane, ofhorizontal pivoted.

levers arranged beneath the supporting plane, means for oscillating saidlevers, a support secured to the outer end of each of said levers andextending in advance thereof with; respect to the line of flight of theaeroplane, upper and lower frames pivotally connectedto said support, afabric cover ing for said frames, and a connection between the leversand the frames limiting the pivotal movement thereof.

, 8.. In an aeroplane, the combination with a supporting plane,horizontal pivoted levers arranged beneath the supporting frame, meansfor oscillating said levers, a support secured to the outer ends of eachof said levers and extending in advance thereof with respect to the lineof flight of the aeroplane, upper and lower frames pivotally connectedto said support, a fabric covering for said frames, a connection betweenthe levers and the frames limiting the pivotal movement thereof, andmeans connecting said lower frames and said supportsnorniallymaintaining said lower frames in en gagement with theirassociated levers.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

EDWARD L. GOODIN.

